Although there is a bit of controversy as to which generational classification everyone belongs to, research has shown that each generation has certain core skills and fascinating characteristics that enable them to respond to the challenges and demands of a period.

The Resolution Foundation in a recent report captioned Cross Countries: International Comparisons of International Trends concluded that people born between 1926 and 1945, were known as the silent generation. Everyone born within that period was trained to remain silent and not speak openly about their views on current affairs.

In his book titled Great Expectations: America and the Baby Boom Generation, Landon Jones asserts that the baby boomer generation are individuals whose birth fall between 1943 and 1960, immediately following the drastic rise in birth rates that was noted at the end of World War II.

Generally, Baby boomers are known for having confidence, being comfortable with administering authority, and understanding the value of independence, according to Dr Alexis Abramson, a generational expert.

Again, in Douglas Coupland’s book titled Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, the term “generation X” was popularised, referring to the generation known for their ability to balance a strong work ethic with a laid-back attitude, and born between the early and mid-1960s, to the early 1980s. People born in this period are credited with the creation of music such as punk, indie, grunge and techno.

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On the other hand, those born from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s and early 2000s are called the “generation Y”. Otherwise known as millennials, they come directly after generation X and precede those referred to as generation Z. Millennials are known for being proficient at using technology, Artificial Intelligence, 3Ds, and social media platforms.

Coming after the millennials are the generation Z, which a report by the Pew Research Centre also describes as the “post-millennials”. This generation were born from 1997 onwards. And like the generation Y before them, they are regarded as being very tech-savvy, having been born during a time of fast-paced digital growth.

There is no doubt that the new normal created by COVID -19 has resulted in a potential skill mismatch, as many companies around the globe have resorted to using multiple tactics, including reskilling, to close gaps. The question on the minds of many entrepreneurs, C-suit executives and managers are “how can I find people with the right skills, and harness them to drive the changes we need to make so that we can meet customer expectations and survive the competition”?

And in this article, we explore how parents, senior executives, managers, and mentors can help the youngest generation (generation Z) become relevant in the new normal, either by starting their own businesses or prepare for the demands and critical priorities of this skills-driven new normal, and remain employable.

In a new McKinsey Global Survey on future workforce needs, for example, it was found that nearly nine in ten executives and managers say their organizations either face skill gaps already or expect gaps to develop within the next five years. The survey reports that 44 percent of respondents say their organizations will face skill gaps within the next five years, and another 43 percent report existing skill gaps. In other words, 87 percent of managers are either experiencing gaps now or expect them within a few years according to the survey.

At Human Capital International, our executive interrogation is, “in this new normal, should every parent, senior executive and mentor continue to uphold the existing model of degree acquisition oriented education, or should attention be shifted and focused more on talent development towards employability, interwoven with value-based enterprise development, in our training approaches of the generation Z?

Not too long ago, some well-known billionaires publicly said they won’t leave their fortunes to their children, much to the shock of the world.

For instance, Bill Gates was quoted by CNBC newspaper in 2017 as saying: “It’s not a favour to kids to have them have huge sums of wealth”. To Bill, his children will receive a small fraction of his fortune, because leaving children with a lot of wealth, “distorts anything they might do to create their own path.”

Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook and his wife, Priscilla Chan in 2015, also announced: they don’t plan to leave their daughter with their billions of dollars but instead, “we will give 99 percent of our Facebook shares (currently worth about $45 billion) to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, to advance its mission”. Similarly, actor Jackie Chan said of his son: “If he is capable, he can make his own money. If he is not, then he will just be wasting my money”.

To the ordinary observer, the actions of such wealthy businessmen and women may be judged as mean and unfair to the children, who are Generation Z. But the reality is that the defining label, and fascinating differences between the parents’ generation mostly generation X and Y, and that of their children, generation Z, are not only glaring but have been deeply widened by the effects of COVID -19 pandemic.

It has, therefore, become imperative that as businesses and organizations continue to adopt high tech aided automation, our human development indices should shift to practical education options. They must promote either entrepreneurship development or “lifelong employability”. The advanced level of non-skills and non-adaptability associated with the traditional models of degree acquisition must be reviewed to foster the malleability of the generation Z to the evolving new normal.

In our view, to meet this challenge successfully, parents, and in particular, educators and governments should design industry relevant employable skills development strategy that reinforces the generation Z’s critical digital and intellectual capabilities, as well as their adaptability, to address the skills-gaps and mismatches of businesses in the new normal.

And we share with you some values and principles we hope can accelerate the adoption of this development paradigm.

1. Encourage creativity, innovation and competence, not degrees.

The digital world has given immense opportunities to innovators, which also means that having a degree, though relevant, is not an indicator of success or competence in this new normal. Consider Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and many others, who have made a huge fortune through spearheading innovations and digitization. Whether you are employed or an entrepreneur, having an innovative mindset is a prerequisite for relevance in the marketplace. Companies and governments are paying billions of dollars to innovators because it is the only way they can edge competitions, penetrate markets, and stay relevant. It is therefore important that the focus must be on developing skills that will enable the generation Z to increase their value in the marketplace by expanding their ability to operate exponentially in a digital world.

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2. Teach adaptability and resilience skills to thrive in the evolving business world.

The journey of life, happiness, and sadness are both sides of the same coin. Whatever career an individual chooses, as generation Z, an employee or an entrepreneur, both paths will, at one point, lead to either happiness or sadness. Engaging the generation Z in programmes that support them to use new experiences as a source of learning and build resilience to help them develop their self-confidence, self-awareness, and self-reliance becomes very critical in a world characterised by constant disruptions. That way they develop the mental fortitude to confront life challenges and overcome them, thereby reinforcing their bounciness.

3. Prioritize practical educational decisions, people and problem-solving skills. 

In the new normal massive unemployment has occurred as a result of increased autonomy brought about by digitization. As a result, unconventional interpersonal, as well as cognitive skills, become critical to respond to the rapidly changing environment. For the generation Z, a four-year college degree which only equips you intellectually without the ability to creatively adapt to the needs of the times is not enough for ultimate career pursuit and employability. Instead, the generation Z must be encouraged to consider alternative education options such as technical colleges, vocational schools, certification programs and on-the-job apprenticeship that require not only less time and money but also enable them to develop the critical thinking, and problems solving skills in order to remain relevant in the digital world.

Conclusion

COVID-19 has had a lot of negative impacts on every aspect of our lives. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost, millions of jobs gone and capital estimated in billions of dollars lost. But it has also allowed us to engage in deep reflections on the future. We hope we will allow this period to serve as a cautious reminder of the importance of how we prepare the next generation to cope with future challenges.